The Top 100 Most Influential People in Accounting

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The Top 100 Most Influential People in Accounting | Accounting Today

The Top 100 Most Influential People in Accounting

Published September 07 2018, 1221pm EDT More in Top 100 Most Influential People, Accounting

The first thing to know is that this isn't an award.

Though its members are often praiseworthy, being named to the Top 100 Most Influential People in Accounting list is not in itself meant as praise -- rather, it's what we hope is a cleareyed assessment by our editors of the individuals who are having the biggest impact on the current state and the future direction of the profession.

The second thing to know is that it's not big enough. In the two decades we have been compiling this list, accounting has grown into new areas, attracted new regulators, come to use new tools, and developed new skills. All of that means new areas of influence, and new influencers. Every year we need to balance them all, measure their current levels of influence and make difficult, often unfair choices. Moving off the list does not necessarily mean someone is no longer a player; and in fact, many members return.

The third thing to know is that this year's roster may be one of the most influential ever. The changes currently under way in the profession are so significant that the decisions they make now and in the coming years and months will have repercussions that will be felt for decades to come.

With that sobering (but also hopeful) thought, welcome the 2018 Class of the Most Influential People in Accounting!



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Joe Adams Managing partner and CEO, RSM US Closing in on $2 billion in revenue, Adams' RSM remains focused on developing new resources to serve the middle market, but without losing sight of the need to develop its people to their highest potential.

Career Highlights: Managing partner and CEO, RSM US, 2011-present; regional managing director, Great Lakes Region, 2008-2011; audit partner, 1987; joined, 1971.

Other Affiliations: Major Firms Group, American Institute of CPAs ... Illinois CPA Society ... Vice chair, Governing Board, Center for Audit Quality ... Board of Trustees, DePaul University ... Economic Club of Chicago.

Education: DePaul University, Chicago, MBA Operations Management; BA Acctg.

Personal: Born 1955, Chicago ... Married to Cheryl ... Five children.



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Alan Anderson President, Accountability Plus A long-time leader in the audit space, Anderson has his fingerprints all over the future of this core service, from leading programs on incorporating big data and analytical tools, to helping design 's recently released prep, comp and review tool.

Career Highlights: President, Accountability Plus, 2010-present ... Founder, Leadership Leagues, 2017-present...Principal, LarsonAllen, 2007-2010 ... Senior VP, Franklin Templeton Investments, 2005-2007 ... Senior VP, AICPA, 1997-2005 ... Partner, McGladrey & Pullen, 19791997.

Other Affiliations: .

Education: Southwest Minnesota State University, BS Acctg.

Personal: Born 1955, Canby, Minn. ... Two children.

August Aquila President and CEO, Aquila Global Advisors



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Through the sort of practice management wisdom that can only come from long years of

experience, Aquila is dedicated to helping his many accounting firm clients move to the next

level.

Career Highlights: President, Aquila Global Advisors LLC, 1995-present ... Director of practice management consulting, The Growth Partnership, 2003-2005 ... VP of M&A, American Express Tax & Business Services, 1996-2003; VP of field management, 1994-1996 ... Senior VP, Practice Development Institute, 1987-1994 ... Partner, Friedman, Eisenstein, Raemer & Schwartz CPAs, 1985-1994 ... Group director of marketing, Coopers & Lybrand (Chicago Group), 1979-1983.

Other Affiliations: Founding board member, Association for Accounting Marketing ... Author, "What Makes a Great Partnership;" "How to Become the Firm of Choice;" "Price It Right: How to Value Accounting Services;" "CPA Firm Merger Strategies That Work;" "CPAs That Sell;" "Client at the Core: Marketing and Managing Today's Professional Services Firm;" "Compensation as a Strategic Asset;" "Leadership at Its Strongest: What Successful Managing Partners Do;" "How to Engage Partners in the Firm's Future" ... Associate member, AICPA.

Education: Indiana University, Ph.D ... DePaul University, MBA, BA.

Personal: Born 1946, Chicago ... Married to Emily Haliziw ... One daughter.

Twitter: @aquilaadvisors

Erik Asgeirsson

CEO,



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For years a major proponent of the importance of technology to accountants, of late

Asgeirsson has also been leading the way in building the technology of the future, from the

Rivio clearinghouse to this year's OnPoint PCR tool.

Career Highlights: CEO, , 2002-present; vice president of professional services, 20002002 ...To sales director, Business Services Division, AT&T, 1990-2000.

Other Affiliations: Board member, ... DigitalNow Advisory Group ... Former Peace Corps volunteer.

Education: Stern School of Business, New York University, MBA ... George Washington University, BS Electrical Engineering.

Personal: Born 1968, Falmouth, Mass. ... Married to Claudia ... Four daughters.

Twitter: @erikasgeirsson

Ron Baker Founder, VeraSage Institute; chief value officer, Armanino Whether you call him the godfather of value pricing or its inventor, there can be no doubt that Baker laid down its philosophical underpinnings long ago, and is finally seeing his hard work pay off as his ideas bear fruit across the profession.

Career Highlights: Founder, VeraSage Institute, 1998-present ... Chief value officer, Armanino LLP, 2018-present ... Instructor, California CPA Education Foundation, 1995-present ... Partner, Baker & Barnett CPAs, 1987-2003 ... Senior accountant, KPMG, 1984-1987.



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Other Affiliations: Radio host, "The Soul of Enterprise: Business in the Knowledge Economy,"

... CalCPA ... Author, "The Soul of Enterprise: Dialogues on Business in the

Knowledge Economy;" "Implementing Value Pricing;" "Mind Over Matter;" "Pricing on Purpose;"

"Professional's Guide to Value Pricing, 6th Edition;" "The Firm of the Future;" "Burying the

Billable Hour;" "Trashing the Timesheet" ... Faculty member, Professional Pricing Society ...

Cato Institute ... Heritage Foundation ... American Enterprise Institute.

Education: San Francisco State University, 1984, BS Accounting ... Santa Rosa Junior College, 1982, AA.

Personal: Born 1962, Santa Rosa, Calif. ... Single.

Twitter: @ronaldbaker

Jon Baron Managing director, Professional Segment, Thomson Reuters Tax & Accounting Few software execs have Baron's long history of delivering valuable tools to accountants, and with Thomson Reuters investing in exploring the frontiers of AI, blockchain and other new tools, he looks set to provide value deep into the future.

Career Highlights: Managing director, Professional Segment, Thomson Reuters Tax & Accounting, 2011-present; president-Americas, Workflow & Service Solutions, 2010-2011; president, Thomson Reuters Tax & Accounting, Professional Software & Services, 2005-2009; EVP, accounting market, and president and CEO, Creative Solutions, 2004-2005; president and CEO, Thomson Reuters/Creative Solutions, 1998-2004; VP of product development, 1992-1998



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... VP of product development, national customer training and Western regional support, CCH,

1980-1992.

Education: Boston University, 1982, MBA ... Siena College, 1974, BBA Acctg.

Personal: Born 1952, Colchester, Vt. ... Married to Betsy ... Four children.

Joanne Barry Executive director and CEO, NYSSCPA As head of one of the largest and most influential state societies, Barry is a major voice for strong professional education, vigilance in maintaining accounting's integrity in its public service role, and more inclusion for women and minorities.

Career Highlights: Executive director and CEO, New York State Society of CPAs, 2010-present; executive director, Foundation for Accounting Education, 2010-present; executive director, Moynihan Scholarship Fund, 2017; publisher, "The CPA Journal;" deputy executive director, 2008-2009; managing director of communications, 2006-2008; director, Communications Division, 1986-1989; assistant director of PR, 1981-1986. ... Assistant director of public information and publications editor, Hackensack Medical Center, 1980-1981 ... PR, New York City School Volunteer Program, 1977-1981.

Other Affiliations: American Society of Association Executives ... President, CPA Society Executives Association ... Board, Montclair State University Accounting, Law and Taxation Advisory Board ... St. John University's Peter J. Tobin College of Business, Department of



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Accounting and Taxation Executive Advisory Board; Accountants Forum Board of Directors ...

Board, New York Society of Association Executives ... Past chair, AICPA PR Conference.

Education: New School for Social Research, MS ... Montclair State University, BA.

Personal: Born in Jersey City, N.J. ... Married to Edward ...Three sons.

Wayne Berson CEO, BDO USA Under Berson, BDO has gone from strength to strength, continuing to expand both organically and through M&A and firmly entrenching itself among the elite cadre of billiondollar firms.

Career Highlights: CEO, BDO USA LLP, 2012-present; chairman, Global Board of BDO International, 2014-present; member, Global Board, 2012-present; U.S. board chairman; regional managing partner for assurance; office managing partner, assurance; joined, 2001 ... Managing partner, Lang Group; partner; audit manager; joined, 1991 ... To supervisor, Grant Thornton, 1987-1991 ... Audit staff to supervisor, Mazars (Cape Town, South Africa), 1983-1987.

Other Affiliations: Board member, Center for Audit Quality ... Co-founder, BDO Institute for Nonprofit Excellence ... Past member, PCPS Executive Committee, AICPA ... Past president, Greater Washington Society of CPAs.

Education: University of South Africa, 1986, Acctg. Science ... University of Cape Town, 1983.



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